Yow--thank you very much, Bigwig Rabbit--I hadn't realized the link was no good; the conventions one, I mean. I think I finally found out why, but there's not a thing I can do about it. I found this page (look for 9/7/05 and 9/9/05), and remembered I had made Sparteye's post sticky. The link both on her post there, and on Musick's in the thread just above it also give the "Not Found" result. Then I tried looking up all of Sparteye's posts, and...the earliest shown is 5/23/05. For whatever reason, her posts before then are not accessible. To me, anyway. I have tried finding post # 17,030; it's just too frustrating. I think I'll bring this to Anu's attention.

As a newcomer, who has not participated in l77,000 of your conversations, some of this really is frustrating. You may know what you are talking about, but a newcomer does not. Do you think "hints' for newcomers' could be clarified??

it's like I mentioned earlier in this thread, the stuff on the page labeled "JO'S HELPFUL HINTS" is somewhat useless, in that much of it refers to a previous incarnation of this site which was called AWADtalk.

in order to be truly HELPFUL, someone should generate an equivalent page, or FAQ, which is applicable to Wordsmith Talk -- I just don't have the time right now (I suspect this is also true for other stalwarts such as Jackie and Faldage) and the eponymous JO long ago decamped from these parts.

and, just as a reminder, Wordsmith his own self leaves us to our own devices; so here we are...

meanwhile, your best bet as a newcomer is to ask direct questions here, specific to an area that is causing you trouble or concern.

As a newcomer, who has not participated in l77,000 of your conversations, some of this really is frustrating. You may know what you are talking about, but a newcomer does not. Do you think "hints' for newcomers' could be clarified??

I am relatively new, but I can give you some suggestions for ways to manage the conversations on these boards.

1. Use the "Forum List" link when you want to post a question or comment starting a new thread. The "General Topics" will guide your choice of thread. If you are stuck, pick "Miscellany". Make the title of your post specific to catch the eye of potential responders. Use this link, also, to find topics of interest to you.

2. Bookmark the "Active Topics: Past 24 Hours" link. If you check this regularly, you can keep an eye on the newest postings.

3. You might lose track of where you have posted (I have!), but you can always find your posts by following the "My Stuff: My Posts" link (it's at the bottom). You can also check anyone else's posts by clicking on the poster's name and scrolling to "View Posts" at the bottom.

4. If you find something too obscure to be familiar to you, you have many choices. Ignore it. Google it. Wiki it. Ask in a post. If you are worried about appearing "dumb", you have the option of sending a PM (Private Message) to anyone asking whatever you like.

5. Be a duck with the frustration. It will ease up as you learn when to do which from #4.

4. If you find something too obscure to be familiar to you, you have many choices. Ignore it. Google it. Wiki it. Ask in a post. If you are worried about appearing "dumb", you have the option of sending a PM (Private Message) to anyone asking whatever you like.

Remember. There are a lot of people here from all over the world and they know a lot of different obscure things. Some of them (who, me?) just sort of assume that everyone knows all the same stupid stuff as they do, so don't be afraid to ask.

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